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Attribution
Art historian Cate Adamson, still grieving the death of her brother and desperate to succeed, leaves her troubled parents in the Midwest to complete her doctorate in New York, only to find herself assigned to a misogynist advisor. She attempts to impress him until she discovers a hidden painting, possibly a Baroque masterpiece, in the university basement. Risking her career, financial disaster, and further alienation from her family, she flees to Spain with the painting to consult art experts.
Antonio, an impoverished duke, clings to the decaying legacy of the House of Olivares. When he meets Cate on the train to Seville, he joins her search, and together they uncover evidence in his five hundred-year old library to support the painting's provenance including a document about the artist's final years that will shock the titans of art history. But Cate vacillates about revealing the truth, fearful that it may destroy her career, her family's expectations, and her future with Antonio.
Written with vivid prose, rich references to seventeenth century Spanish art, compelling characters and a historical puzzle, Attribution is the story of one contemporary woman's journey to understand the past--and unlock her future.
Antonio, an impoverished duke, clings to the decaying legacy of the House of Olivares. When he meets Cate on the train to Seville, he joins her search, and together they uncover evidence in his five hundred-year old library to support the painting's provenance including a document about the artist's final years that will shock the titans of art history. But Cate vacillates about revealing the truth, fearful that it may destroy her career, her family's expectations, and her future with Antonio.
Written with vivid prose, rich references to seventeenth century Spanish art, compelling characters and a historical puzzle, Attribution is the story of one contemporary woman's journey to understand the past--and unlock her future.
309 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2022
185 people are currently reading
8263 people want to read
About the author
Linda Moore
2 books151 followersA recovering gallery owner, traveler and writer, Linda Moore uses her experiences in her writing. After studying and earning degrees at the University of California, Stanford and University of Washington (whew!), she spent time as a hospital administrator until she turned her love of art into a business and opened an art gallery. Drawing upon a year studying at Complutense University of Madrid in Spain, she focused the gallery's art on contemporary Hispanic art, especially from the southern cone of South America (Argentina, Uruguay, Chile).
She continued traveling after she closed the gallery and has been to all seven continents multiple times and has visited over 100 countries.
She lives with her husband in San Diego and takes refuge when she can in beautiful Kauai where they have a cottage.
She continued traveling after she closed the gallery and has been to all seven continents multiple times and has visited over 100 countries.
She lives with her husband in San Diego and takes refuge when she can in beautiful Kauai where they have a cottage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
June 21, 2022
Written with a deft hand of someone who knows the art world, someone who has been immersed in it for many years, makes this novel unique and informative. The great writing craft keeps the story moving forward and difficult to put down. The three-dimensional characters are real enough to stay with you long after you close the book. Moore is new to the literary scene, but she's proven she’s here to stay.
D.
D.
August 6, 2022
What if you discovered a painting in a forgotten trunk? You are a doctorate student and this looks like a Baroque masterpiece. Why isn't it on the list of paintings you are inventorying -- yet another grunt task that always seems to fall on your shoulders as the only woman in the program? Who painted this gorgeous gem? Was it the hand of Diego Velázquez? Cate Adamson is caught on the horns of a dilemma. Her faculty supervisor gives her little to no encouragement. The deadline for getting her dissertation approved is speeding toward her like a freight train. Panic ensues and the painting leaves the campus with her. Cate makes a spur of the moment decision to get it vetted in Madrid. She is travelling on a shoestring budget and uncertain of her future. Disaster seems imminent. Cate comes alive on the pages and I also really loved her relationship with her Midwest family in Michigan. Serendipity takes a hand and gives us some welcome surprises along the way. This beautifully rendered tail will be a delight to art lovers and a little romance in Spain is a delightful bonus.
A big thanks to Linda Moore for sharing an ARC of this October release in exchange for an honest review. I wish her much success with this Indie title.
A big thanks to Linda Moore for sharing an ARC of this October release in exchange for an honest review. I wish her much success with this Indie title.
February 22, 2022
Attribution is set in New York and Spain when Cate Adamson finds an unknown painting in the basement of her graduate school. She begins the task of identifying the 17th century Spanish artist and a cat and mouse game ensues. Written in gorgeous prose, Moore’s debut novel entertains and educates those of us interested in art history who want to learn more.
April 16, 2022
A fast paced story with amazing characters. For people who love art, love Spain and enjoy history.
February 27, 2024
There are a couple of television series out there that I very much enjoy. The first is Fake or Fortune and the second is Art Detectives. Both shows take relatively obscure works of art and investigate them to determine or verify the artist that painted them. There’s usually only a suspicion of greatness, but only provenance, science, and expert opinion secures an actual attribution.
Attribution follows the same motif as the two television shows and it captured my attention from the start. The plot focuses on a young post-graduate student who follows the trail of a suspected 17th century work of art that is suspected of being painted by the famous Spanish painter, Diego Velázquez. The process of attribution is explained as the story progresses. Moore does a good job of raising investigative questions that are universal to many works of art that surround us today. At the end of the process, humans make various interpretations motivated by a host of human factors ranging from the sincerely honorable to the purely selfish. All of this makes this novel a worthwhile endeavor.
The flaws in Attribution are typical of art-based novels. While Moore may have chosen an academic theme, there must have been some concern that such themes on their own do not make bestsellers. To spice things up, she adds in a sappy romance and inter-character conflicts that don’t add very much to the story. Also, the attribution process is a bit watered down and glossed over. And to make matters worse, the plot is propelled forward by the mother of all coincidences. In fact, it’s such a big coincident that I envisioned some diabolical plot twist that would remove the tarnish of writing about something that would never actually happen in real life.
Nonetheless, its an entertaining novel for those that enjoy art. It provides an opportunity to tour a handful of Diego Velázquez’s works online as they are mentioned and described in the book. They are truly beautiful paintings that capture life. But most of all, it allows the reader a glimpse into the the process of "declaring" a masterpiece long after any certainty of such a declaration has vanished.
Attribution follows the same motif as the two television shows and it captured my attention from the start. The plot focuses on a young post-graduate student who follows the trail of a suspected 17th century work of art that is suspected of being painted by the famous Spanish painter, Diego Velázquez. The process of attribution is explained as the story progresses. Moore does a good job of raising investigative questions that are universal to many works of art that surround us today. At the end of the process, humans make various interpretations motivated by a host of human factors ranging from the sincerely honorable to the purely selfish. All of this makes this novel a worthwhile endeavor.
The flaws in Attribution are typical of art-based novels. While Moore may have chosen an academic theme, there must have been some concern that such themes on their own do not make bestsellers. To spice things up, she adds in a sappy romance and inter-character conflicts that don’t add very much to the story. Also, the attribution process is a bit watered down and glossed over. And to make matters worse, the plot is propelled forward by the mother of all coincidences. In fact, it’s such a big coincident that I envisioned some diabolical plot twist that would remove the tarnish of writing about something that would never actually happen in real life.
Nonetheless, its an entertaining novel for those that enjoy art. It provides an opportunity to tour a handful of Diego Velázquez’s works online as they are mentioned and described in the book. They are truly beautiful paintings that capture life. But most of all, it allows the reader a glimpse into the the process of "declaring" a masterpiece long after any certainty of such a declaration has vanished.
May 9, 2023
Attribution is a worthy debut offering from Linda Moore and She Writes Press. We follow our protagonist, Cate Adamson, a young art history doctoral student in NYC as she makes her way through the maze of the art world after discovering a hidden unattributed Baroque masterpiece in a storage room of the university. Is her misogynist advisor trustworthy or part of the cover up? Who can she trust? Her need to find an ally in the art world takes her to Spain where she meets Antonio Olivares and this is where my favorite part of the story begins and continues all of the way to the delightful ending.
With the exception of a couple of eye rolling, improbale poor decisions and unlikely coincidences I found Attribution to be a credible, interesting, and compelling read. I look forward to reading more from Linda Moore.
I received a drc from the publisher via NetGalley.
With the exception of a couple of eye rolling, improbale poor decisions and unlikely coincidences I found Attribution to be a credible, interesting, and compelling read. I look forward to reading more from Linda Moore.
I received a drc from the publisher via NetGalley.
April 7, 2022
A tremendously enjoyable story with the perfect combination of mystery, history, and artistic beauty. Would definitely recommend!
October 13, 2022
Thank you BookSparks partner for this gifted copy!
I love art and art history but you don’t need to come in with a lot of knowledge about the art world to understand and appreciate this story. I don’t read a lot of romance but found the romantic element to be well-done and not sickeningly sweet.
I thoroughly enjoyed this well-researched book from start to finish but the ending surprised me in the best possible way! I’m already looking forward to Linda Moore’s next book.
Perfect for readers drawn to books with themes of moral dilemmas, complicated family dynamics, riches to rags, and the power imbalance between men and women both in general and specific to the worlds of art and academia.
🍷🍷🍷🍷.25/5
April 19, 2022
I was lucky enough to read an early version and from page 2 was totally hooked on the story. This is a riveting novel about an art historian completing her doctorate who uncovers a hidden painting and solves a puzzle. Her journey enables reconciliation of her own family's past and move forward.
August 30, 2022
ATTRIBUTION
BY: LINDA MOORE
First, I must preface my review, by thanking my Good Reads friend Darla, for writing such a Brilliant review--that led me to discovering this gem called, "Attribution," written by the talented Author, Linda Moore. Please read Darla's Fantastic review, because it was so well written it intrigued me to request this and read it for myself. I concur with Darla, that this is a Five Star reading experience. I think that anybody that appreciates Art History and loves a well executed story will love this. I LOVED IT! Anybody who loves art will also love this under rated Diamond of a story. Anybody who loves to read a great mystery will also love, "Attribution". So make sure that you put this on your "to be read," pile or pre-order your copy today. You will not be sorry that you did. It is still available to request.
This masterpiece has a whopper of a twist that starts at about 67% into this Fantastic Historical novel. One that elevates this to its worthy Five Golden Stars! It starts in the basement of a storeroom at New York City University filled with spiderwebs that attest that this storage room hasn't been entered in years if not decades. Cate is an undergraduate there working to finish the art inventory today, that will likely dismiss the entire undergraduate team in their department. She has been the one who has supervised their assignment to find every piece of artwork either in the remodeled climate controlled vault or the art that hangs in their department on the walls in Hamilton Hall. The particular storage room that she came across, when she was leaving the art vault to make a phone call was not listed, nor pointed out by the registrar. It is a dank cellar which would be the last place anything of value would be kept, especially not art.
She thinks that anybody with wisdom would stop now, give Professor Jones the forms with the inventory, all checked off and accounted for--every last item. She is quite sure that he gave her this assignment as busy work, to avoid another dissertation meeting with her, so that he could satisfy himself that he met his requirements. The two of them couldn't reach an agreement, because for every proposal she made, he would come up with a host of reasons why her ideas fell short. This whole inventory project was a waste of precious time, that could be more wisely spent doing dissertation research. I got the feeling that Professor Jones was determined for Cate to miss her dissertation deadline, due to chauvinistic reasons. He knows that the Holidays were fast approaching and, that she would be disqualified, if she didn't have a subject for her dissertation by January 15th. This whole inventory assignment was his way of ensuring that she failed. He was not doing her any favors by making sure that she didn't meet the deadline, by shooting down all of her suggestions and diverting her attention, by assigning her the inventory that robbed her of dissertation research. Soon everybody would be celebrating Christmas and the New Year, and she would be without her thesis, that he would be in charge of her choice, because her subject needed his approval. The University would be shut down and he seemed to be in favor of the clock ticking down by his wasting of her time. He seemed arrogant and a misogynist to me.
Cate doubted that Professor Jones knew about this cellar room, that a security guard had to be summoned to unlock the door. At first he refused, but then relented after Cate offered him a drink from her water bottle. As the security guard found the key, he extracted a promise from her, that he wasn't involved in unlocking the door. After moving some boxes Cate found an ornate chest with carvings that she swore looked like it came from the 1600's. As she reluctantly put her arm in and felt around, there seemed to be the fabric of a rolled up painting. A canvas that was weighed down, and rolled up a number of times, paint side out, to prevent cracking, as was the practice of the last century. Using the light from her cellphone she gasped, as she witnessed rich pigments, such as lapis luzuli, which she knew was only used on works that mattered. I, a novice, even knew that detail. Red lake carmine that was granular proving that the pigments had been ground up was another priceless color, and as she examined the backside of the linen covered with irregular slubs, only found in hand woven fabric. She knew that she had found something great. Has your instinct ever told you that you were right, when everything else argued against something that you dared not whisper? In Cate's case from her intense studies she knew...she was witnessing an attribution that contributed to her next bold move to take a risk.
Not wanting to be dismissed yet again by Professor Jones, Cate wraps the rolled up painting in the parchment paper and heads to the third floor and uses a humidifier. From years of sitting at the bottom of that trunk, she has an idea of what she has found. As she places the rolled up painting, into the machine, she knows that she won't be disturbed. As she waits her mind drifts back to two Christmases ago, when her beloved younger brother died from drowning. Cate has been keeping a secret from her grief stricken parents. It is all her fault. She can't go back to Michigan to her parents for this Christmas. She left the painting overnight to allow the humidifier to do its job, so that she was back before the department opened at 7:00 AM. Just as she thought, it was a find from the Baroque ages. She had a meeting with Professor Jones, for her dissertation research, for which he was late. He arrived and was even more dismissive. Not bothering to look at what she had prepared. She decided not to show him the painting of what she found, by the way he was treating her. She was the only female in a ten student prestigious program. His arrogance had her so upset, that she forgot to return the painting, and by the next day there was no admittance into the building, because of a bomb scare.
Cate makes some questionable decisions during the Christmas break. Fate mixed with some good and bad luck determines the trajectory of her attempts to prove what she suspects. I appreciated the early mentions of Artemisia Gentileschi as both a favorite of Cate, but I suspect the Author's, as well, as a personal favorite of mine. Her paintings and work were discovered by me when I was a very young woman. To say anymore would be to give spoilers. Just know that as much as you love a great book as a work of art--so too, is this novel! I highly, highly recommend this breathtaking journey. Linda Moore, if I could award you one-hundred stars for this masterpiece, I would! A Favorite!
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Thank you to Net Galley, Linda Moore and She Writes Press for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
#Attribution #LindaMoore #SheWritesPress #NetGalley
BY: LINDA MOORE
First, I must preface my review, by thanking my Good Reads friend Darla, for writing such a Brilliant review--that led me to discovering this gem called, "Attribution," written by the talented Author, Linda Moore. Please read Darla's Fantastic review, because it was so well written it intrigued me to request this and read it for myself. I concur with Darla, that this is a Five Star reading experience. I think that anybody that appreciates Art History and loves a well executed story will love this. I LOVED IT! Anybody who loves art will also love this under rated Diamond of a story. Anybody who loves to read a great mystery will also love, "Attribution". So make sure that you put this on your "to be read," pile or pre-order your copy today. You will not be sorry that you did. It is still available to request.
This masterpiece has a whopper of a twist that starts at about 67% into this Fantastic Historical novel. One that elevates this to its worthy Five Golden Stars! It starts in the basement of a storeroom at New York City University filled with spiderwebs that attest that this storage room hasn't been entered in years if not decades. Cate is an undergraduate there working to finish the art inventory today, that will likely dismiss the entire undergraduate team in their department. She has been the one who has supervised their assignment to find every piece of artwork either in the remodeled climate controlled vault or the art that hangs in their department on the walls in Hamilton Hall. The particular storage room that she came across, when she was leaving the art vault to make a phone call was not listed, nor pointed out by the registrar. It is a dank cellar which would be the last place anything of value would be kept, especially not art.
She thinks that anybody with wisdom would stop now, give Professor Jones the forms with the inventory, all checked off and accounted for--every last item. She is quite sure that he gave her this assignment as busy work, to avoid another dissertation meeting with her, so that he could satisfy himself that he met his requirements. The two of them couldn't reach an agreement, because for every proposal she made, he would come up with a host of reasons why her ideas fell short. This whole inventory project was a waste of precious time, that could be more wisely spent doing dissertation research. I got the feeling that Professor Jones was determined for Cate to miss her dissertation deadline, due to chauvinistic reasons. He knows that the Holidays were fast approaching and, that she would be disqualified, if she didn't have a subject for her dissertation by January 15th. This whole inventory assignment was his way of ensuring that she failed. He was not doing her any favors by making sure that she didn't meet the deadline, by shooting down all of her suggestions and diverting her attention, by assigning her the inventory that robbed her of dissertation research. Soon everybody would be celebrating Christmas and the New Year, and she would be without her thesis, that he would be in charge of her choice, because her subject needed his approval. The University would be shut down and he seemed to be in favor of the clock ticking down by his wasting of her time. He seemed arrogant and a misogynist to me.
Cate doubted that Professor Jones knew about this cellar room, that a security guard had to be summoned to unlock the door. At first he refused, but then relented after Cate offered him a drink from her water bottle. As the security guard found the key, he extracted a promise from her, that he wasn't involved in unlocking the door. After moving some boxes Cate found an ornate chest with carvings that she swore looked like it came from the 1600's. As she reluctantly put her arm in and felt around, there seemed to be the fabric of a rolled up painting. A canvas that was weighed down, and rolled up a number of times, paint side out, to prevent cracking, as was the practice of the last century. Using the light from her cellphone she gasped, as she witnessed rich pigments, such as lapis luzuli, which she knew was only used on works that mattered. I, a novice, even knew that detail. Red lake carmine that was granular proving that the pigments had been ground up was another priceless color, and as she examined the backside of the linen covered with irregular slubs, only found in hand woven fabric. She knew that she had found something great. Has your instinct ever told you that you were right, when everything else argued against something that you dared not whisper? In Cate's case from her intense studies she knew...she was witnessing an attribution that contributed to her next bold move to take a risk.
Not wanting to be dismissed yet again by Professor Jones, Cate wraps the rolled up painting in the parchment paper and heads to the third floor and uses a humidifier. From years of sitting at the bottom of that trunk, she has an idea of what she has found. As she places the rolled up painting, into the machine, she knows that she won't be disturbed. As she waits her mind drifts back to two Christmases ago, when her beloved younger brother died from drowning. Cate has been keeping a secret from her grief stricken parents. It is all her fault. She can't go back to Michigan to her parents for this Christmas. She left the painting overnight to allow the humidifier to do its job, so that she was back before the department opened at 7:00 AM. Just as she thought, it was a find from the Baroque ages. She had a meeting with Professor Jones, for her dissertation research, for which he was late. He arrived and was even more dismissive. Not bothering to look at what she had prepared. She decided not to show him the painting of what she found, by the way he was treating her. She was the only female in a ten student prestigious program. His arrogance had her so upset, that she forgot to return the painting, and by the next day there was no admittance into the building, because of a bomb scare.
Cate makes some questionable decisions during the Christmas break. Fate mixed with some good and bad luck determines the trajectory of her attempts to prove what she suspects. I appreciated the early mentions of Artemisia Gentileschi as both a favorite of Cate, but I suspect the Author's, as well, as a personal favorite of mine. Her paintings and work were discovered by me when I was a very young woman. To say anymore would be to give spoilers. Just know that as much as you love a great book as a work of art--so too, is this novel! I highly, highly recommend this breathtaking journey. Linda Moore, if I could award you one-hundred stars for this masterpiece, I would! A Favorite!
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Thank you to Net Galley, Linda Moore and She Writes Press for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
#Attribution #LindaMoore #SheWritesPress #NetGalley
June 30, 2022
I got an Advanced Reader Copy and loved the book. What if an art history PhD student found a very old, forgotten painting in a university storage locker? And what if it appears to be a lost masterpiece that Velázquez painted. Linda Moore weaves a fast paced plot as she takes you through all the steps to determine if the painting is a fake or not. Right through to an unexpected conclusion. Her struggling PhD student protagonist ,Cate Adamson, has great spunk as she goes to Spain to find the truth and fight university and art world politics and male egos. Vivid writing and compelling characters. And of course, a love story. I learned a lot about classical art from reading this.
August 20, 2022
As a long-time collector of Old Master paintings, I am familiar with the process of attribution. Linda reveals a deep and detailed technical, as well as artistic knowledge, which she weaves into a brilliant and intriguing novel, with an ending that leaves you hoping for a sequel.
August 21, 2022
Remarkable story, where the author’s profound understanding of the museum world and art conservation, makes for an unforgettable journey. The ending is spectacular and entirely unexpected! Amazing, gorgeous, riveting book!
July 31, 2022
I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of Linda Moore’s beautifully crafted novel ATTRIBUTION. This fast-paced, dramatic novel tells the story of Cate Adamson, a doctoral student who discovers an unknown seventeenth-century masterpiece and takes it without permission from her university in New York to Spain. Her motives are mostly pure, but can solving the mystery of the painting also rescue her faltering career and save her noble Spanish lover from bankruptcy? Those goals seem high enough, but Cate finds herself playing for much higher stakes in the rarified, clubby academic Art World.
This deep dive into world of art benefits from the author’s personal experience, plus extensive research. Without slowing the pace, Moore deftly slips in fascinating details only an art historian, like the novel’s heroine, would know. Additionally, each setting is rigorously portrayed, placing the reader in every scene, whether in a New York professor’s office, the Prado Museum, or a dilapidated castle. The writing is gorgeous.
In the end, the novel asks whose accomplishments are left out of history and whose talents struggle for recognition today. In ATTRIBUTION, Linda Moore’s exquisite debut novel, her writing talent shines, clearly deserving recognition. Highly recommended.
This deep dive into world of art benefits from the author’s personal experience, plus extensive research. Without slowing the pace, Moore deftly slips in fascinating details only an art historian, like the novel’s heroine, would know. Additionally, each setting is rigorously portrayed, placing the reader in every scene, whether in a New York professor’s office, the Prado Museum, or a dilapidated castle. The writing is gorgeous.
In the end, the novel asks whose accomplishments are left out of history and whose talents struggle for recognition today. In ATTRIBUTION, Linda Moore’s exquisite debut novel, her writing talent shines, clearly deserving recognition. Highly recommended.
May 10, 2022
A delightful and well-paced thriller about intrigue and the art world, where an art historian doctoral student finds a mysterious painting that captures her imagination. The painting leads her on a suspenseful trip to Spain, where she meets the heir to a crumbling historic estate. She struggles with sexism in art academia, and must take matters into her own hands to find the trust about the beautiful painting, as established experts try to hide the truth. Likeable and relatable female main character, and appealing love interest. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and learned a lot about art attribution, or the process of linking a historic painting to its creator. Believable scenes in appealing Saville and Madrid make you feel like you are there. Highly recommended!
September 1, 2024
It took me a little bit to get into, but then I breezed through it and rather liked it a lot.
A young overlooked and much devalued but eminently talented graduate student finds an old painting that was never meant to be found, and lands in Spain seeking to authenticate what she thinks and believes might be the find of millennia. She meets a man who has an interlocking quest of his own. There are many challenges along the way, some romantic, but most having to do with the painting itself and what it might mean for the world. The question remains, what will our heroine do? Will she find herself and make a stand for truth?
A young overlooked and much devalued but eminently talented graduate student finds an old painting that was never meant to be found, and lands in Spain seeking to authenticate what she thinks and believes might be the find of millennia. She meets a man who has an interlocking quest of his own. There are many challenges along the way, some romantic, but most having to do with the painting itself and what it might mean for the world. The question remains, what will our heroine do? Will she find herself and make a stand for truth?
June 28, 2022
“Attribution” grabs our attention from the first pages with a mysterious canvas begging to be identified. The path to uncovering the truth behind the painting takes us from academic jockeying in NYC to research and romance with a Spanish aristocrat in Madrid and Seville. We meet down-to-earth Midwesterners and gracious and warm Spaniards. The power-plays between competing art historians from New York and Madrid were deliciously cutthroat. Overall a satisfying mystery solved.
Beyond the plot and characters, however, I’m glad the author tells the story in chronological order from a single POV. I’m so tired of novels that include dual perspectives and dual or multiple chronologies. This is a good story, told in a straightforward manner with beautiful prose.
Beyond the plot and characters, however, I’m glad the author tells the story in chronological order from a single POV. I’m so tired of novels that include dual perspectives and dual or multiple chronologies. This is a good story, told in a straightforward manner with beautiful prose.
May 13, 2022
I was fortunate to read an advanced copy of Attribution and am pleased to give it a well-deserved top rating. This brilliantly crafted mystery grabbed and held my attention from beginning to end. Like a master artist, Linda Moore through her elegant use of words, painted colorful descriptions of her characters, their surroundings, and the drama that unfolds in this tale of intrigue and suspense. Every page compelled me to read the next as I continued my journey into her world of attribution and the moral conflict experienced by her main character.
August 18, 2022
Ernest Hemingway said, “write about what you know” and that’s exactly what Linda Moore did. She took her extensive knowledge of art history, the restoration of canvas paintings and how the art market works and placed it in her beautifully-written story. She then added romance to make it a high-spirited adventure.
The character we pay attention to is Cate, a NYCU doctoral student. She has a meeting with Professor Jones to review her dissertation right before the Christmas holiday. She was easily intimidated by him as he felt that women didn’t belong in his art history program. She just finished doing an inventory of the art for him. In a dark room with cobwebs, she found a rolled-up canvas in an old wooden chest that was mysterious and looked like it may have value. It was taken to the Conservation Center where the stiffness of the canvas was released by the humidity chamber. She brought it to the meeting with Dr. Jones. He asked what was in the tube but she decided not to show it to him until she had more information about the artist.
A trip to Spain was next on her list with the art to do more research. It would be a challenge as he didn’t authorize grant money for her to be there. It would be out of pocket. It was also a huge risk to take the art owned by the university out of the country without permission. But she was willing to do this as she was convinced it could bring her promising results with a male group of art historians. “Women struggle to get recognized.”
The book put me on the edge of my seat worrying about the art as anything could happen to it. The canvas could be punctured, stolen, and damaged in a number of ways. Every part of the narrative was put together with great suspense. It focused on art, history, competition, relationships and love. “The art world has many layers.” This is a book I didn’t want to end. It’s a great conversation piece which goes beyond the story to make the reader think about consequences in life. The amount of research done by the author was impressive.
My thanks to Linda Moore, She Writes Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with the expected release date of October 11, 2022.
The character we pay attention to is Cate, a NYCU doctoral student. She has a meeting with Professor Jones to review her dissertation right before the Christmas holiday. She was easily intimidated by him as he felt that women didn’t belong in his art history program. She just finished doing an inventory of the art for him. In a dark room with cobwebs, she found a rolled-up canvas in an old wooden chest that was mysterious and looked like it may have value. It was taken to the Conservation Center where the stiffness of the canvas was released by the humidity chamber. She brought it to the meeting with Dr. Jones. He asked what was in the tube but she decided not to show it to him until she had more information about the artist.
A trip to Spain was next on her list with the art to do more research. It would be a challenge as he didn’t authorize grant money for her to be there. It would be out of pocket. It was also a huge risk to take the art owned by the university out of the country without permission. But she was willing to do this as she was convinced it could bring her promising results with a male group of art historians. “Women struggle to get recognized.”
The book put me on the edge of my seat worrying about the art as anything could happen to it. The canvas could be punctured, stolen, and damaged in a number of ways. Every part of the narrative was put together with great suspense. It focused on art, history, competition, relationships and love. “The art world has many layers.” This is a book I didn’t want to end. It’s a great conversation piece which goes beyond the story to make the reader think about consequences in life. The amount of research done by the author was impressive.
My thanks to Linda Moore, She Writes Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with the expected release date of October 11, 2022.
May 5, 2025
Hmmm...I have thoughts...
But first, quick plot re-cap: Cate finds a mysterious piece of art that could potentially be attributed to a well-known artist. Rather than take it to her seemingly misogynistic advisor, she runs away to Europe with it, in hopes of determining the truth of the artist. From here, a crazy series of events unfolds.
There were parts of this I really liked. Not knowing much about art, it was an interesting look into the art world, how they attribute works to a particular artist and credibility when making attributions.
I wasn't wild about the romance portion of the story nor how it ended. It felt like things were still very much unresolved. I can get why the author chose to go that route, but in the way this story was told, to me, this wasn't the way to end it. Given all that Cate experiences throughout the book, the reader needed more of a conclusion of events. I also felt there were a few plot holes that weren't addressed. For novels of this nature, this just can't happen.
So-3 stars because while interesting, didn't provide a "wow" factor when it really could have.
But first, quick plot re-cap: Cate finds a mysterious piece of art that could potentially be attributed to a well-known artist. Rather than take it to her seemingly misogynistic advisor, she runs away to Europe with it, in hopes of determining the truth of the artist. From here, a crazy series of events unfolds.
There were parts of this I really liked. Not knowing much about art, it was an interesting look into the art world, how they attribute works to a particular artist and credibility when making attributions.
I wasn't wild about the romance portion of the story nor how it ended. It felt like things were still very much unresolved. I can get why the author chose to go that route, but in the way this story was told, to me, this wasn't the way to end it. Given all that Cate experiences throughout the book, the reader needed more of a conclusion of events. I also felt there were a few plot holes that weren't addressed. For novels of this nature, this just can't happen.
So-3 stars because while interesting, didn't provide a "wow" factor when it really could have.
December 10, 2022
Initially I was in two minds with ‘Attribution’ because the first half of the book was not appealing to me. I found it a bit repetitive. Cate, the lead character, was going on an apparently wild goose chase, so I was distracted and annoyed by her insecurities. And only after I heard rave reviews of this fictional work, luckily I made up my mind to not give up.
The second part is intriguing and even instructive in terms of the art world and the research required for attributions.
In a nutshell, it is a work that requires some patience as it matures and improves like wines.
A 3.7 rounded up
FYI. "The Three Kings" or "The Three Wise Men" are named in Spanish "Los Reyes Magos" or "Los Reyes" not "Tres Reyes".
Merry Christmas!
The second part is intriguing and even instructive in terms of the art world and the research required for attributions.
In a nutshell, it is a work that requires some patience as it matures and improves like wines.
A 3.7 rounded up
FYI. "The Three Kings" or "The Three Wise Men" are named in Spanish "Los Reyes Magos" or "Los Reyes" not "Tres Reyes".
Merry Christmas!
June 13, 2022
The author honored me with an ARC - Advanced Reader Copy - of her first novel Attribution. What a journey it took me on. I love books that take me to new worlds and I learn something. Attribution did not disappoint. Who wouldn't want to find a lost treasure? But I never could have anticipated the ripples that discovery would send through so many lives, careers and reputations. This novel has mystery, a puzzle, romance and adventure. The craft is strong, the characters fully human, and I never would have guessed the outcome.
May 21, 2022
I highly recommend Linda Moore's novel Attribution. From the very beginning, the author pulls the reader into the story with an excellent atmosphere of mood... you're right in Cate's mind, seeing and feeling what she experiences. This story is quite different--in a most positive way!--from any other novel I've read. It promises intrigue and escape from daily life... what a journey!
May 3, 2022
If you enjoy a well written fiction with a touch of art and history, this book is for you. Attribution is extremely well written and compelling, and truly a page turner.
May 6, 2022
It’s been a while since I read an entire book in one sitting since I couldn’t put it down… a really fun and interesting read!
August 21, 2022
I have recieved the advanced copy from a friend. As an art lover and devoted Spanophile I found the book extremely interesting, very well written, showing deep knowledge of art and museums with suspens, mystery and unexpected turns and ending. A big pleasure to read. Highly recommended and a must for any art lover!
July 29, 2022
For this reader there’s nothing better than a book that grabs hold of you and won’t let you go until you finish it—unless it’s a book that is so beautifully written and well-crafted that you want to take your time and savor every sentence. Linda Moore’s debut novel, "Attribution" offers both. Set in the refined world of art history, which Moore demonstratively knows well, this intriguing and fast-paced novel features complex characters, rich and nuanced descriptions, and a compelling protagonist who pushes back at a patriarchal structure, not only to prove herself and solve the mystery of a hidden painting, but to shed light on women artists in a world that has historically failed to recognize them.
July 14, 2022
Linda Moore’s debut novel Attribution is a fascinating and glorious page-turning masterpiece. In this debut novel art history doctoral candidate Cate Adamson finds a Spanish Golden Age painting in the New York City University basement that leads her on a winding path of discovery. Filled with intrigue, suspense, and interesting characters, including a handsome duke, Cate continues to question who she can truly trust. Lush sensory descriptions and art research details abound to make this a unique and gratifying read. I highly recommend it!
April 20, 2022
Attribution by Linda Moore is an art history puzzle that drew me in from the beginning, though I have no background in art or interest in art history. Unfolding like a Dan Brown mystery, the finding by an art history student of an ancient painting in an old chest in a forgotten closet in the basement of a New York university leads to a series of adventures from New York, to Seville, to the Prado in Madrid where egos and reputations are at risk in the struggle to attribute the painting to the famous Spanish painter, the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain, and of the Spanish Golden Age.
The protagonist, a young woman graduate student from the Midwest consults technical specialists in Spain who analyze, date, and restore art, in her search for the truth of who painted this unknown masterpiece. She finds, however, that these specialists are sometimes motivated by ambitions and jealousies that could interfere with the truth that she has begun to uncover. Key in these astonishing revelations is her chance encounter with a penniless Count, a decedent of the House of Olivares, in whose ancient library she discovers key documents and in whose arms she discovers the possibility of new love.
Moore’s story combines a puzzle with mystery and romance with such compelling writing that you will keep turning the pages until the surprise at the end.
The protagonist, a young woman graduate student from the Midwest consults technical specialists in Spain who analyze, date, and restore art, in her search for the truth of who painted this unknown masterpiece. She finds, however, that these specialists are sometimes motivated by ambitions and jealousies that could interfere with the truth that she has begun to uncover. Key in these astonishing revelations is her chance encounter with a penniless Count, a decedent of the House of Olivares, in whose ancient library she discovers key documents and in whose arms she discovers the possibility of new love.
Moore’s story combines a puzzle with mystery and romance with such compelling writing that you will keep turning the pages until the surprise at the end.
December 8, 2022
This was a DNF for me. Despite being about art and set partly in Spain, the awkward and bumbling prose kept disrupting my focus on what could've or should've been an interesting read. I just could not get past overwrought phrases like the following:
"She grabbed her cheeks and then the edge of the table to steady herself and to quell the feelings overtaking her. Painted poetry glowed and throbbed with passion in the sterile atmosphere of the lab."
or
"Antonio broke the silence and showed his delight at the tapas. 'Burdens trouble you too. Many thoughts going through such an intelligent head.' He was sweet, in a Spanish kind of way."
Linda Moore writes with a strange mix of florid metaphors and classic examples of "telling rather than showing," which is incredibly off-putting. Not to mention subtly racist implications in "a Spanish kind of way" or when she refers to leftover Chinese food as "an unpleasant dinner option" that is only available to the protagonist because the protagonist is broke.
If you want a beautifully written novel about art, read "The Goldfinch" instead.
"She grabbed her cheeks and then the edge of the table to steady herself and to quell the feelings overtaking her. Painted poetry glowed and throbbed with passion in the sterile atmosphere of the lab."
or
"Antonio broke the silence and showed his delight at the tapas. 'Burdens trouble you too. Many thoughts going through such an intelligent head.' He was sweet, in a Spanish kind of way."
Linda Moore writes with a strange mix of florid metaphors and classic examples of "telling rather than showing," which is incredibly off-putting. Not to mention subtly racist implications in "a Spanish kind of way" or when she refers to leftover Chinese food as "an unpleasant dinner option" that is only available to the protagonist because the protagonist is broke.
If you want a beautifully written novel about art, read "The Goldfinch" instead.
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